UPMC On Topic Transcript
Reconstructive Transplantation: Becoming Whole Again
Joseph Losee, MD
Director, Composite Tissue Allotransplantation Program
Reconstructive transplantation is a relatively new field and it represents the marriage of traditional reconstructive surgery and transplant surgery. And unlike transplant surgery, which is life saving —like receiving a kidney or a heart transplant — reconstructive transplantation is life giving in that it dramatically increases the quality of life by getting a hand or a face transplant.
For reconstructive transplant surgery Pittsburgh has been a leader in the field having performed the first double hand transplant in the United States, the first above the elbow transplant in the United State and leads in innovative antirejection therapies for reconstructive transplantation.
In addition, Pittsburgh has been a leader in novel therapies for postoperative immunosuppression and therapies to decrease the amount of postoperative immunosuppression.
Balancing risks and benefits
While transplantation can be life saving or life giving, the downside is that you have to take antirejection medicines so that your immune system doesn’t reject the transplant.
Depending on the amount of antirejection medicines you take, there are some pretty significant and serious side effects such as kidney failure, opening yourself up to infections and even some cancers.
Our team feels that the risk of standard immunosuppression is too great for hand or face transplant and research here has resulted in new therapies that allow us to decrease the amount of immunosuppression to make reconstructive transplantation a reality.
Brighter futures
The future for reconstructive transplantation is unlimited. And as the risk/benefit ratio swings toward decreased immunosuppression. The ability to transplant portions of the body, face, hand, abdominal wall, and the opportunities for reconstructive surgery will be limitless.
Many of our patients have regained the ability to hold their children, to feel hot and cold, to be able to draw once again and be able to function in public, eating and drinking, and simply being able to be one person, a normal person in the crowd.
For more information, contact us at 412-648-9207.